VERO BEACH — A manatee rescued in July after a watercraft strike was returned to the Indian River Lagoon Sept. 23 at Round Island Riverside Park, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said.
Barber, a 7.2-foot manatee, was found in July leaning to one side and having trouble submerging after the collision, the FWC said. He weighed about 520 pounds at rescue and 675 pounds at release after a few months of rehabilitation.
The release was carried out by FWC in coordination with SeaWorld Orlando and partners that included Brevard Zoo, FAU Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute, the Manatee Center and Indian River County Natural Resources Department…